Chapter 5 – More than Meets the Eye
I'm going there to see my Father,I'm going there, No more to roam,
I'm only going over Jordan,
I'm only going over Home.
- Poor Wayfaring Stranger
American traditional song
"Professor Sartoris and his 'poisonous aura'. Talk to me," said Albus.
"He is a Dark wizard. Did you know that?"
Albus' blue eyes widened and there was a brief silence as the man fathomed this intelligence. "I'm ashamed to admit that I did not."
"Well, I'm glad I told you. I'd also watched his interactions with Severus when he was first brought in. Let me see if I can find the words to adequately describe what I felt." The Healer dropped her head into her hands for a moment, concentrating hard. "He seemed to have an almost – predatory – interest in the boy. I also sensed that he was a Watcher."
"A Watcher?" Dumbledore whispered.
"One who watches someone or something on behalf of another. I felt very uncomfortable around the man. I wonder on whose behalf your professor is watching young Severus?"
The Headmaster's brow furrowed. "You are no doubt familiar with a Dark wizard by the name of Tom Riddle. He has a number of followers, one of whom is Severus' father, I believe."
"It could be. It would fit. Sartoris watches Severus, like Snape Senior watches Severus. If both were beholden to Tom Riddle – then one would have to ask what Riddle's interest is in this child."
A long silence played out between them.
"Sartoris has allowed Severus access to the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library over the past two years. I knew about it, but Sartoris assured me it was only for further study of potions and their history." Albus sighed. "I've been accused by more than one individual of being far too trusting, giving my confidence away to persons who later turn out to be wholly undeserving of it. Based on what you've told me, I now suspect that there may be a more sinister reason behind the library visits."
"Is there any way to observe Severus when he does use the Restricted Section?"
"It's usually at night. I can have our caretaker, Argus Filch, keep an eye on him and see precisely where he goes," Dumbledore said. "Of course, this presupposes that Severus comes back to Hogwarts and continues his special studies at Sartoris' behest."
The healer smiled, taking the old man's hand. She pulsed him some calming energy, and he relaxed a bit. "You are an old fox," she said. "You know more than what you're willing to say about our young friend Snape. I accept that, and I will not ask about what is none of my business. However, since he is both important to you as a student and to me as a patient -- both of us must do everything we can to restore him to some semblance of sanity and normalcy. This, in turn, will keep him closer to the side of the Light."
"Yes," Albus agreed. "He must go on to play out the role the Fates have laid out for him. Not that I know or understand that path, mind you, but I sense that he will be very important to a great many people in the future."
Asphora lightly rubbed his hand. "Yes. Yet I sense that you are still troubled."
Dumbledore looked up at her. "I cannot accept that Severus' mother would be so callous as to disregard three messages asking her to come home in his time of need. She may well be negligent in her maternal responsibilities, but she is no monster. It is possible that the owl posts meant for her fell into sinister hands -- hands that don't want her to give Severus the love and attention he needs -- hands that want to shut out any positive influences in his life." He shook his head. "I do believe I'm starting to scare myself."
"Indeed. And you should, Headmaster Dumbledore," the healer remarked. "I sense dark threads shot throughout Severus' aura; threads that vie for supremacy over yours. I cannot tell you who placed them there, but it is quite obvious to me that there are substantial Dark influences in the boy's life – ones you must do your very best to combat. I will do the same when I interact with him here."
Dumbledore nodded, and ruminated on what Asphora had told him.
He then sat up straight, stretching out his sore back. "So much Darkness in the world lately. So much heartache and disappointment for my Dark child in the bed over there. I do believe I will use my phoenix to deliver the next letter to Mrs. Snape – if Dark forces try to trifle with Fawkes, they will regret it."
Asphora smiled. "A phoenix? How wonderful -- and how Albus Dumbledore!"
The old wizard broke into a grin. "Do I have my own genre, then?"
"Your aura is fascinating, as I told you," Miss LaChance reiterated. "You have more positive energy circulating in and around you than anyone I've ever sensed. Do what you can to share as much as you're able with Severus, for he will need it!"
Dumbledore nodded once more. "I'm also troubled that his father will be released from Azkaban soon. He doesn't know of his son's suicide attempt, of course. I expect he will punish the boy for it since Snape Senior wants to use his son for his own ends. Unless I intervene, he will again drag him down into hopelessness."
"If he is the primary source of the Darkness in Severus, you will have a hard time keeping them apart, won't you?" the healer asked.
"I will do what I can to keep Severus at Hogwarts during school breaks. I will also make a point of visiting him frequently, particularly since he might try to kill himself again if his path is as hard as I think it might be."
"He loves you," she said quietly. "And I feel that your love for him is what will save him in the end." The two mystics looked steadily at one another, confident in their common conclusion and common goal.
"I will have to be cautious in my handling of Sartoris' supervision of the boy," Albus continued. "He will resent any intrusion, and – if he is as Dark a wizard as you sense him to be – he will react negatively to my influence. The very idea that one of my own staff might be in league with Snape Senior chills my blood!"
"Not 'might be', Headmaster," Asphora whispered. "Your teacher is in league with him, and with others besides – perhaps to groom Severus for some Dark role; for some Dark purpose."
"They will snatch his very soul if I'm not careful," Dumbledore whispered back. He patted Asphora's hands, and then slowly stood, further easing his back as he did so. "Look at the hour! I must be on my way." Albus waved the silencing charm away, and then went over to the Slytherin boy's bedside. He was sleeping peacefully, thanks to Dumbledore's charm that provided him with pleasant dreams.
"May the gods watch over you and protect you, my poor Dark child," Albus said, brushing the hair from his forehead. Severus opened his eyes, still half in a dream. He smiled and reached out, catching hold of the Headmaster's robe.
"I must leave you now, Severus," Albus said in his gentle way. "Sleep well and have a good day tomorrow, and I will see you in the evening. I predict we may have better luck in contacting your mother so that she can be here with you, too."
Severus sighed and his beautiful heavy-lidded eyes closed once again.
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Once Albus Dumbledore was safely back in his rooms at Hogwarts, he shrugged off his traveling cloak, went over to his little mantelpiece altar, and lit a candle. Of course, he had no need for a match!
"May all the positive forces of the universe unite to keep the evil out of Severus, and out of me as well – and to keep the Light bright in both our lives."
He extinguished the flame with a wave of his hand. He changed, and then slid between the sheets of his bed. He fell asleep almost at once.
Albus Dumbledore, the greatest White wizard in the world, had begun to connect the dots that would reveal the life's path for his Dark child. However, it would not occur to the old wizard that little Britomartis Vox – Severus' cherished best friend and the only positive influence in his sad life – had been taken from him by forces as Dark as those that had already insinuated themselves throughout young Snape's aura.
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"Stop that," Severus Snape growled, trying to reach behind him to slap away his healer's hands.
Asphora LaChance laughed and touched his shoulders, filling him with a soothing and calming wave of energy. The boy visibly relaxed.
"It is one of my goals to make you less afraid of human contact, Severus," she said. "You are like a hurt little animal, and I understand completely why you feel this way. However, you need to realize that not everyone is out to harm you."
"Practically everybody in my whole bloody life is out to stick it to me, one way or another," Sev huffed.
"Such a cynic for fifteen," she commented. "Now stop fidgeting and let me brush these snarls out."
Severus was out of bed and on the same chair upon which Albus Dumbledore had rested the night before. Miss LaChance was trying to coax the snarls out of the boy's matted black hair.
"Don't be afraid, sweetheart," she said. "I won't hurt you. And if I came even halfway close to it somehow, I feel that your Headmaster would knock me into next week."
Severus grinned a secret little grin at the mention of his mentor's name. He loved his Headmaster and was touched to the very depth of his heart that the great man considered him important enough to care for.
"You love him, don't you?"
Severus nodded. "He is my real father – instead of that bastard who I hope is suffering horribly in Azkaban."
Asphora started to gently probe the issue of Severus' father as she brushed his hair into dark gloss. "He hurt you a great deal over the years. Are all those scars on your body from his cruelty?"
"As far back as I can remember, he's hated me. I was born just so he could have an apprentice, you know. He told me." Sev started to cry almost right away. Healer LaChance shuddered at the wave of revulsion that washed through the boy's being.
For the next hour, they sorted through the sad story of Severus Snape, the son. By the end of their talk, she understood some measure of her patient's inner wounds, and knew what she could try to help heal at least some of them.
"There," she said, tying off the end of a thick braid she'd plaited into the boy's hair. "You look very handsome."
He blushed and dropped his head. "I don't like it," he whispered.
"How do you know?" she said. "I don't see a mirror in front of you."
"I don't like it because there's nothing to hide behind."
"Do you need to hide behind your hair, Severus?"
He nodded. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't."
"Well, let's compromise today," the Healer said. She pulled out some long strands to frame his face. "Is that better?"
His curt nod belied his awed gratitude that this lady would even want to touch his loathsome hair. "My old friend Martis liked me to wear a braid."
"Do you want to tell me about her, Severus?"
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For young Snape to tell a virtual stranger about the girl he had loved with all his heart was a remarkable thing. Because Miss LaChance was a medium and a healer, she appreciated the enormous effort he made to satisfy her request.
Britomartis Vox had been a brilliant, funny, and warm girl who had attended Hogwarts for three years, grabbing hold of the shunned boy and taking him through many adventures. Together, they had confounded the Gryffindor Marauders; she had empowered Severus to defend himself. And well he could – so long as she was around.
But her parents had transferred her to Beauxbatons, very suddenly and out of the blue, and Sev's life was once again plunged into self-doubt, self-loathing, and heartbreaking loneliness.
Pranking by the Gryffindors had continued with a vengeance, but now Severus no longer had his friend Martis at his side. After the incident by the lake which exposed the unfortunate Slytherin to his classmates, he slowly began to fall apart. He had fled into the Forbidden Forest, seeking death. He had trusted one of the Marauders to be his friend – what a fool he had been! – and after his trust had been betrayed, he sought death once again. This time, however, Severus had his father's bottled poison to help him on the way.
It was much easier to accept the Dark when you had been deprived of the Light in your life.
"Why does Headmaster Dumbledore still care about me?" Severus sobbed, his healer's hands on his shoulders, trying to calm his terrible internal fear. "I tried to kill myself. He should hate me for that!"
"Nonsense, Severus. Your Headmaster loves you because you are you. You didn't have to do anything to gain his love. No matter what you do, he will still love you. That is what is meant by unconditional love, you see."
Sev turned and looked at her. "I don't understand that."
"I know you don't, sweetheart. But you will in time. Just know that you are lovable – as you are right now, without any proof."
He sighed deeply and hung his head.
"I'll bet you're hungry. How about some lunch? Then you can take a nap. Your Headmaster will be here when you wake up. Does that sound good to you?"
Inexplicably, Severus turned and threw his arms around her, as he once had embraced Martis. Asphora wrapped her own arms around him in a warm and healing embrace.
"I think you will feel much better when you leave here to go back to school," Asphora LaChance said, smoothing the hair of the troubled boy. "I have great confidence in your inner strength and resilience, Severus Snape."